When to Hire a Tutor: If You Think Your Child Needs a Tutor…You’re Too Late!

This will probably be one of the worst articles you will read on one of my blogs, in terms of grammar, flow, semantics, and overall structure that is! In fact, in many places it may seem more like a rant. In other places, a lament!

It started as one thing and, like many of my articles, it veered sharply off course almost at once!

Unfortunately, I honestly believe there is far too little honest emotion expressed when it comes to the predicament many of our children face…and it is expressed far too late!

That may be the case here!

Why?

Because we are failing a generation of young people!

Students I see today cannot read faster than 150-190 word per minute (average is 190-240), they can’t write an intelligible essay, if it wasn’t for EasyBib they wouldn’t understand the difference between MLA and APA. Incredibly, many can’t convert fractions into decimals, don’t understand percentages, and utterly fail beyond Algebra I.

We are concerned with math and science and our children cannot write in complete sentences!

A key question:

Do we neglect academic pursuits on purpose?

I have asked myself, and many others, that question so many times over the years, more times than I care to count.

I guess the answer is like most answers, it is complex:

Some do and some don’t!

More to the point:

I would argue that there is a serious neglect at every level, and it is reaching epidemic proportions!

Our children are not prepared to…T…H…I…N…K…much less spell, write, read (speed and comprehension), form a hypothesis, k now what the scientific method is, the definition of biology, the definition of anthropology, chemistry is the study of, know when the civil war was fought, what great accomplishments George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are known for, who Charles Darwin was, who Marie Curie was (much less her husband’s name) and what she is known for discovering, where Gettysburg is and what happened there, what the Gettysburg Address is and why it was central to the outcome of (which) war, how to write the formula for oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, what natural selection is, what an embryo is responsible for, a placenta, what DNA is, what RNA is, what amino acids are……………

And I could go on for days!

I am not talking about kids coming out of elementary school or even middle school. I am referring to students graduating from some of our better high schools, even our nation’s colleges and universities! There are students graduating from four year colleges and universities who not taken an essay exam or written a single paper…in four years of undergraduate study!

I’ve worked with some of these graduates and it is tragic!

They can’t write a personal statement for a job application, never mind one for entrance to graduate school.

Yes! Graduate school!

Here is a question for you:

What are we going to do with 50-60-75% dropping out of many school systems…well before the 12th grade, many by 9th grade?

What are we going to do with their children, children growing up in poverty and without adequate role models?

Why has it come to this?

Well, again, it’s complex!

Many are unwilling and/or unable to foot the bill, the tax bill specifically, to make the necessary improvements. Others feel our government is so mismanaged that pouring more money into the black hole that are our nation’s coffers is useless.

Here’s another question for you:

What could we have done with the money our government shelled out to Wall Street Banks? The same Wall Street banks that had pocketed millions, even billions in profits prior to the crash of 2008!

Think I’m exaggerating?

Read:The Big Short by Michael Lewis

Read: Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin

Read: Inside Job: The Rogues Who Turned Finance into a Criminal Enterprise and How They Hijacked the United States by Charles Ferguson

Read: A Colossal Failure of Common Sense: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Lehman Brothers by Lawrence G. McDonald (Facebook friend and Twitter buddy…and an honorary cousin) and Patrick Robinson

I could go on!

If you aren’t ready to throw your head out of the window of your car, house, office, anywhere by now and shout:

“I’m mad as H*ll and not going to take it any more”

by the time you finish the above-mentioned books?

It isn’t going to happen!

And I’m not even going to go into what the recent military actions have cost us!

Just one bomb, just one: $1,000,000.00, at least!

We have squandered our children’s educations and possible of grandchildren’s. And we are still arguing partisan politics?

The dog and pony show goes on! (more to follow)

Incredible!

Sadly, many educators are so burnt out after years of working in schools that are no more than 8am-3pm holding cells for children we don’t know what to do with, they have lost hope.

It’s tragic!

Even worse, many teachers and administrators are so jaded they don’t want to know how to fix a system they believe is beyond repair. Many educators are simply treading water and waiting for retirement…or disability!

Not only are the children lost, I would argue we are losing a generation of teachers, as well!

Many educators, and some for good reason, feel that teaching at many of our nation’s institutions has become a Sisyphean exercise:

Bring them in, move them on, and get them out…with no end in sight!

Like Sisyphus, constantly pushing that boulder up the hill, only to begin again!

Metal detectors, locker checks, assaults, security in the form of off duty police, dogs…Yes, dogs!…and worse. Ceilings falling in, classrooms in trailers for years at a time, no heat, stifling heat, expired food (dated) in lunches, no lunches, and worse…

Can burn out be far behind?

Burn out for the teachers and despair and apathy for the children!

Are the teachers and administrators to blame?

Some are!

Most aren’t!

Most people in education entered teaching because they love –loved- kids, they believed teaching was a noble profession and a way to give something back, to reach out and, perhaps, change the world one child at a time. Perhaps they had a teacher who touched their life in a special way, made a difference.

Saving the Life of One Child

I have often said, and I have heard others say:

“If I can change just one child’s life, make a difference in the life of just one struggling child, perhaps it will all have been worth it!”

Project Kids!

I have had students like that, in academic settings and on sports teams I have coached.

I call them “project kids!”

Not because they are from “the projects,” not at all! In fact, most of my “project kids” are from good homes, single homes, struggling homes, supportive homes, neglectful homes, lower class homes, middle class homes, upper middle class homes, well-functioning homes, disfunctional homes, and from the homes of our wealthiest citizens.

In other words, the “project kids” come from every segment of society and every socio-economic bracket; every race, creed, ethnic background, and so on.

They are everywhere and, in most cases,they are invisible…some barely holding on…but invisible!

My “project kids” have given me so much, so very much!

One “project kid” gave me my life back!

Funny thing about life, just when you’ve had about all you can handle, when you feel like there’s no more meaning, when you are basically all tapped out, someone is put in your path that makes things seem possible again.

A Do-Over:

The “Project Kid” Who Gave Me Back My Life!

We’ve all called “do-over!”

A do-over is that time when a game isn’t going our way and we want just one more chance? We all called it as kids.

The ball went out of bounds:Do-over!

Struck out:Do-over!

I think the big people have one for golf:Mulligan?

I don’t know for sure about that last one. I play golf every 7-10 years just to reassure myself I have no business on a golf course. And now with my back completely shot….

Yeah, you get the picture!

Well, I was way beyond calling for yet another “do-over!”

But I got one anyway!

My most recent “project kid” was like that, a young girl who had witnessed a tragedy, a friend’s death, in a terrible accident. Her friend died in front of her and she was devastated…as we all would be.

“Jane” (not her name and perhaps not her sex) was struggling with depression and was close to failing several of her classes. Jane’s Mom and Dad are both professional people and both of them love Jane very much. Jane’s parents were willing to do whatever it took to help her get beyond that terrible tragedy and help her move on with her life.

But both parents were struggling!

Mom and Dad were not only struggling with how to help their daughter, they were struggling with their own feelings of frustration. To make things worse, they were having trouble reaching Jane at all; they were wise enough to know they might lose her altogether.

I got a call and they asked me to come over, I said I would come over that evening. I have interviewed students and parents in their homes for years, particularly when I am considering whether to take on a student or not.

We met with them around their kitchen table.

I like to meet a prospective student in their home, where they and their parents are most at ease. Meeting on the prospective student’s turf helps me get a better sense of the dynamics between family members; and, I am more likely to see the child without their defenses up…particularly as the interview continues and I focus on Mom and Dad, away from the child.

Do they listen?

Do they lean in?

Do they fidget?

Do they ask questions?

Do they try to refocus our attention on him or her?

All these are keys and invaluable when attempting to get a handle on whether or not there is going to be a good fit or not.

Don’t get me wrong, I have had children who were openly hostile and I have taken them on.

One young lady was failing chemistry miserably, if there is another way to fail chemistry let me know, and I was going to be her 5th tutor!

She finished the year with an A!

Yes! Just as hostile as Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting!

But there are not many that openly hostile…thank goodness! It is very tough to reach kids that negative…but I seem to have a gift. And I love kids!

The importance of love, passion, and empathy cannot be understated!

And above all?

Honesty and respect!

Once you lose their respect…you pay heaven & h#ll to win it back.

But it is possible!

So, there we were: Mom, Dad, little brother, and Jane. I can see it like it was yesterday!

I was listening to them and watching Jane out of the corner of my eye. I usually try to incorporate the student into the conversation early. In many instances, the child is surprised to be asked what they think and I win points. This pays off later, as they usually don’t forget that I asked them for their opinion in what seems like an “adult conversation!”

Fortunately, Jane was beyond the point of fighting about whether or not she needed a tutor, she knew she needed help too.

So, I said OK!

Funny thing was?

I had just recovered from a 12 year battle with a life threatening series of illnesses and infections (osteomyelitis of the spine was the primary diagnosis). I had wrestled with depression, primarily caused by the length of the illness itself, combined with chronically acute back pain, and several surgeries over more than a decade.

Funny thing?

I wasn’t really prepared for Jane! However, I knew Jane needed help and I knew I could help her.

I also had to get on with my life…or give up!

So I said OK again!

Then, on the way home I asked myself if I was nuts!

“Probably,” was the response!

Well, to make a long story short, we ended up saving each other. Today Jane is my friend. A good friend!

That’s feels funny in today’s world, Jane is a teenager (a senior this year) and I am 56 years old and a Grandpa. But Jane and I shared something in those sessions that no one can pay for and I can never repay. Yes, we got a ton of work done, a ton! But we also helped each other in some intangible way I can’t really describe…and it worked for both of us!

I can’t repay Jane, her parents, or God for the good it did me.

But it saved my life…of that I am certain!

Interestingly, there would be times when Jane would come to my office, just shot, unable to think, to do much of anything…so we talked, she played with our dogs, she talked to my kids, my grandkids, and my wife. She had dinner, helped with chores (always paid), and my wife bought her favorite candies and sodas. We did everything to make sure she always felt like one of us.

She became a part of our family…another one of our children!

Jane slept when she needed to sleep and we listened to the latest music when she had something I just had to hear.

We watched Avatar and The Blind Side when they first came out and we talked about the meaning of each, how they related to her and her own world view and how our society might view them. We talked about the historical meaning behind Avatar’s story line.

I did tell Jane’s mom I didn’t want to be called Miss Sue! See The Blind Side if you don’t know what I mean…it will be worth the time, and the laugh!

Anyway, as the year progressed, we talked, we healed, we grew, and we learned!

Because I listened, I helped her learn, and she helped me come out of my despair and believe in myself again.

As stated above, I can’t repay Jane, her parents, or God for the good it did me. I have put much of the torment and the pain of those years behind me and, with another school year approaching, am looking forward to watching Jane graduate from high school and go on to college.

From a scared 15 year old girl to a fine young lady about to graduate, I have been able to touch “just one child” again and remember what that feels like.

In fact, there have been quite a few project kids over the years!

Some of the kids were on softball, basketball, or soccer teams.

Some of the kids were gifted students in need of a little confidence and someone to believe in them again.

Some had Asperger’s.

Some suffered from traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

Some were struggling with ADD.

Some with ADHD.

And some just needed a little help!

Incredibly, they all gave back many times what I was able to give…in each and every instance!

That is why most people begin to teach, whether as a K-12 teacher, a university professor, or a private tutor.

I prefer the freedom to make my own way in life and work with the children, and adults, who really need me. That’s why I select the students I end up working with…because I feel they need me; and, maybe, I need them a little.

I have been a mentor, a coach, a tutor, someone to confide in, and someone to lean on.

In every case, eventually I end up being Jack. I end up being someone put there to help them get to where they want to be…or away from where they are now, as painful as that may be!

In return I have received friendship, warmth, love, a few gifts, and that special something I can’t name but anyone who has earned and held the trust of students knows.

This series will continue because I have roughly 10,000 words written and there’s no end in sight! If you stayed with me through this article, thank you!

ADD and ADHD Students: Are Often Bright and Even Gifted

Violating Newton’s First Law of Motion:

Reaching those Challenged by an Attention Immaturity

Steven Pavlakis, M.D.**, The Director of Pediatric Neurology and Development, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, refers to attention deficit disorder, with or without hyperactivity, as being an attention immaturity issue rather than an attention deficit. I believe this is an important distinction and, while there is much work yet to be done, it is a significant observation and one that warrants additional research.

The Damage Labels Do

One of the greatest challenges affecting our children today is the use of labels in our schools, particularly early on, and specifically as they relate to learning disabilities. Once labeled as disabled, average, gifted, and so on, a child is set on a track; and, that track is set in stone. Short of a violation of Newton’s first law of motion, there is little chance to break free of most labels, in many ways they are the academic version of a high school reputation…and they stick in much the same way! Unfortunately, from that point on, the student will be labeled accordingly. For the remainder of his or her academic career, in the original school district, that of the original diagnosis, or as a member of the student body at any other school system he or she might become a part of over the remaining years, the label sticks…the rep sticks!

Frightening?

It should be!

Just a fresher for those not up on their Newtonian Laws:

Newton’s first law of motion states that the velocity of a body remains constant unless the body is acted upon by an external force. (Sir Isaac Newton, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, 1687)

Or, as many have learned it way back in elementary school:

Once a body is in motion, it will tend to stay in motion unless acted on my some other, outside force!

Once again, as most familiar with the wheels of academia know, particularly in a public setting, those labeled disabled, in any sense, will remain labeled and will receive a different education. Interrupting that motion set by the powers that be is an order of magnitude more difficult than violating Newton’s first law!

NOTE: I am not saying that the issue of attention immaturity must be ignored. I am simply suggesting that we be very careful before we assign labels to children in or out of an academic setting.

This is a crucial issue and one we will explore in greater detail over the year ahead. For now, suffice it to say that before any sort of a diagnosis is set in stone, IEP developed, and child labeled, possibly for life, we must be very sure of exactly what we are dealing with…in all of its manifestations.

Because the issues/challenges have been described, across most academic and medical communities, as learning disabilities may not be, caution must be the watchword. Most significantly, children are being treated with many of the same education strategies and programs that have been traditionally set aside for those diagnosed, and subsequently labeled with, more profound educational issues and challenges.

This cannot stand!

Ultimately, how we diagnose and treat our students will impact and affect the trajectory of the remainder of their life. The possibility of serious consequences should, at the very least, suggest a level of caution not currently displayed and/or applied in many school systems, public and private, today.

Contact us today!*

If you would like to discuss your child’s options with me, I will be accepting a very limited number of children for the current academic year. Because our program requires a significant time commitment on my part, I can only accept 8-10 students per year.

*The only time we do not pick up the phone is when we are in session. Please leave a detailed message including: student’s name; school district; academic year; birth year; diagnosis, if any; IEP in place; athletics and/or extracurriculars; and, any additional relevant information. I will return your call as soon as I am free.

**Dr. Pavlakis has received a number of awards, has an impressive CV, and his research has focused on cerebrovascular disease in children, metabolic disease in children, and the neuroimaging of children (MR, MRS, and functional imaging).

Westside Tutoring’s Summer Session

Students are Encouraged to Attend: Have the Time of Your Life…

…Learn, Grow, Challenge, and Enjoy

Design a Summer Session to Inspire:

The History of Science: Newton, Galileo, Darwin, Einstein…or suggest an author, scientist, philosopher, scholar or cleric…and we’ll do it!

The History of History: From the early migration to the New World to the emergence of agriculture and a stable society…and later civilization. The Bering Strait to the Golden Crescent, Egypt to Rome, the continent of Africa to the Americas are all fascinating subjects, some receiving little, if any exposure in the classroom.

The Little Known Moments in History: Conspiracy theories, real or paranoia? From Pearl Harbor to the Kennedy Assassination to the AIDS epidemic: What do you think? Create a hypothesis and seek to disprove it applying the scientific method, research all aspects of the question (i.e., that means reading real books, journals, etc.), create a paper worthy of publication, submit it to the various online and school-related publications, and argue your findings persuasively. This will be a powerful lesson in researching a specific thesis, developing your research, creating a written document, and then supporting your findings orally and in writing!

NOTE: We will be able to follow the above-mentioned format for just about any topic you would like to study. The sort of education you will receive this summer, particularly while researching and assembling the data regarding your area of interest, will not only help you in your classes next year, when you are required to write papers, it will also be invaluable as you prepare for the writing segments of the ACT and SAT. The summer session will also be extremely helpful as you work on your senior project, school newspaper stories, yearbook projects, and college admission statements.

The application of the exercise suggested above will be invaluable during your years as a student; and, as a professional, a business owner, an executive in the workplace, or perhaps as a blogger? Maybe as a parent…or a teacher?

Question: Where is one of the largest pyramids in the northern hemisphere? Hint: One of our most famous presidents logged in some time there!

Question: What was it about Beagles that turned Darwin on? You might say the Beagle could really float his boat! He said something about an island being for the birds! Hint: Did you see The Master and the Commander…with Russell Crowe?

Question: While Newton was getting his act into gear, attempting to understand the laws of motion, he was often just short of a solution…a the weighty subject to be sure! Hint: Did Newton want to understand how we get from Point A to Point B? Or was he more interested in figuring out how inertia and gravity weighed in on the subject of motion? So he could get out of the way of all those apples!

I know, I know…but at least I took a shot!

Think about the courses you will be taking in the fall. Or next spring? Let’s apply a little, old-fashioned physics and get on top of the game, now!

If you suggest it, we will put it together and you will be well on your way to an amazing 2011-2012 school year…at any level!

PS, I also have 4 spots open for a combination biology, anatomy, physiology, and weight loss program!*

*As with most of the other programs, the combination biology/anatomy/kinesiology/weight loss program will begin on July 6, 2011 and is to continue until the school year commences. Depending on your situation, including the commitment demonstrated through late August 2011, 1 or 2 students may be allowed to continue into the school year! If you would like to lose a significant amount of weight, feel better about yourself in every way, and understand how the weight is coming off why, and how to keep it off for the rest of your life? Contact Professor Z immediately! (you will be required to provide a doctor’s release – for your own protection)

Summer Session for ADD and ADHD Students?

Yes!

The need for summer school has been a hotly debated topic for decades. Students are heavily, and understandably, against any kind of forced summer program; and, most parents, and a surprisingly large segment of educators, seem to be, at best, ambivalent. How’s that for a complex sentence!

Educators may also feel the summer vacation is part of the package, as much a perk as a well-needed, and, for some, well-deserved, respite.

However, over the past decade there has been a significant shift in thinking, particularly as it relates to continuing education over either a greater span, or to completely span, the calendar year.

The current discussion has grown, in part anyway, out of a recognized need to address the growing segment of the student body currently labeled as learning disabled (in one sense or another). The debate ranges from how best to address this growing segment of the student body, the answer is, at least when it comes to the ADD and ADHD student, is an unequivocal…

Sci-Fi & Fantasy – From Issac Asimov to Tolkien and The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings to A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire

Literature – Great & Not-so Great – Everything you need to know to pass your high school literature classes…Gatsby to Cathcher

Special Interest – The idea is to get students reading and keep them engaged…it can be fun!

Summer Math Support (All Levels)

Elementary

Middle School

Algebra I & II

Geometry

Remedial Arithmetic

Prep for Proficiency & Entrance Exams

*Our students don’t jump just ONE grade level. If we fail to deliver? Our sessions are free until we do! Last year’s average math student started with us with a a 49.7% (F) and finished with an 84% (B) in just under 12 weeks.

PSAT, SAT & ACT Preparation

Critical Reading

Essay Instruction

Math Review (Basic to Intensive)

*Students have tested for the SAT Critical Reading at 282 and scored 610 or better on exam day. We continue to work with our students until everyone is satisfied with the results. Guaranteed!

Academic Challenges in Today’s Challenging World

ADD, ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s Asyndrome, Traumatic Brain Injury

ACT, SAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, or MCAT

Many students and parents have a very limited idea of what tutoring is all about in the 21st Century. The days of the $5 an hour high school-aged tutor coming in after school for a bit of homework help are behind us.

Today’s pre-school, elementary, middle school, high school, college, graduate, and professional school students’ needs have grown exponentially over the last two or three decades. In an era that demands specialization, particularly in math and science-related areas (to include computer science), many students lack even basic communication skills. Significantly, the “video generation” is falling behind in a number of key academic areas…and there seems to be little hope of a remedy any time soon.

Interestingly, our education system appears to be floundering under the weight of increased class size, an emphasis on standardized testing, and a lack of funding. The focus on specialization, instead of emphasizing creative thought and the ability to write well, is having a profound impact on today’s youth…and it is not positive. I am afraid we will end up with a generation of specialists who are unable to think creatively, read and write well, think outside the box, to use a gobbledygook word, and see the big picture. In other words, we will be left with a generation, if not several generations, of specialists unable to think holistically and perform creatively.

Frankly, the thought frightens me…I hope it frightens you!

Tutoring has grown into a profession over the last decade and most professional tutors offer everything from disability services, education-related counseling, online academic services, standardized test preparation, and various forms of student support.

Not only do today’s professional tutors offer access to state of the art computers, desktops and laptops, as well as the associated software, they also invest in and offer access to relevant, education-related membership sites. Additionally, the professional tutor and/or tutoring service must also invest in and offer a substantial library of supplemental material (e.g., textbooks, literature, periodicals, etc.). The investment of time is crucial. Time is most precious and it routinely takes 2-3 hours to adequately prepare for a properly planned tutoring session.

Aside:Fortunately, many teachers still insist their students conduct research offline and a professional tutor will have a myriad of textbooks, periodicals, and relevant material at his or her disposal for their students’ use.

A qualified professional tutor will undoubtedly have an undergraduate degree. In many instances, a professional tutor will have an advanced degree. Optimally, a qualified professional tutor will be comfortable across a wide variety of academic disciplines. It is often the case that students require support across a number of disciplines (i.e., courses, subjects, etc.) and for more than one academic period.

The cross-discipline support is particularly necessary when working with students dealing with such learning disabilities as ADD, ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, traumatic brain injury (TBI), etc.

Hiring a tutor unfamiliar with the demands related to disability services for such students is almost always a waste of time and money and may be costly to the child’s well-being, as well.

Unfortunately, standardized testing seems to be here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Consequently, talented educators at every level are forced to teach to test, an unsatisfying and unproductive endeavor, at best. Teachers are held to an unrealistic standard and test results are often tied to wages, job security, and tenure (the topic of another article). Students’ performance on standardized tests for everything from overall proficiency to the right to graduation (i.e., OGT—Ohio Graduation Test) means there is often little time for anything else…anything other than teaching the canned test taking techniques, that is.

In my opinion most of these tests are set to an arbitrary standard, culturally biased, and absolutely unfair.

The GED, PSAT, SAT, ACT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, TOEFL, PRAXIS, USMLE, ASVAB, and so on were once considered appropriate, even cutting edge. The tests listed above are an alphabet soup of tests created to measure intelligence, proficiency, aptitude, and ability. The tests listed above are, in almost every instance, no longer even purported to do what was once claimed. The GED is arguably the only test listed above with some redeeming value…a second chance at a high school diploma.

The pre-college, college, professional school, and graduate school entrance tests (i.e., PSAT, SAT, ACT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, and MCAT) are now an industry in and of themselves and the acronym is now the test’s sole name. The SAT is no longer the Scholastic Aptitude Test; it is simply the SAT…and so on.

Aside: Interestingly, when the State of California’s university system considered no longer requiring the SAT as part of their admissions process, the SAT writing segment was born. Talk about pull and a purely business decision!

All that being said, the ACT, SAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, and MCAT are part of the admissions process for colleges, universities, graduate schools, and professional schools across the nation. In order to prepare for the appropriate entrance test, whether it’s the ACT, SAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, or MCAT, a professional tutor is a must.

With intense competition for admission to the nation’s best schools, and equally intense competition for financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, assistantships, and fellowships, an investment in a professional ACT, SAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, or MCAT, as stated above, tutor is a must. Selecting the right tutor is an investment that will pay dividends for years to come.

In fact, even the classroom-type test preparation is better than nothing…but just barely!

Ultimately, a private and completely individualized program, a one-on-one program tailored to the specific needs of the student is ideal. A program offering the above-mentioned features and focusing specifically on the appropriate test is optimal (ACT, SAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, or MCAT).

Tutoring has come a long way from the days of the high school student who just wanted to make a few extra bucks after school or the housewife who was “pretty good” in English a few years ago and is trying to supplement the household income. The professional tutor of today must be a well-educated, well-rounded expert. The professional tutor of today must be comfortable working with people under myriad conditions and across any number of different situations.

Finally, the professional tutor must be comfortable with a stressed-out, gifted middle school student going down in flames in advanced geometry, a medical student about to fail gross anatomy, a high school athlete in need of an “A” in chemistry to achieve the required GPA for a full ride to Ohio State and he’s failing 12 weeks from the end of the year, and the high school junior with a 282 on the Critical Reading section of the SAT and has to do better to get into the school of his dreams.

Follow up: The gifted middle school geometry student scored a 100 on his first test after starting working with Westside-Tutoring…and hasn’t looked back! The medical student is now called Doctor by his patients. The high school student needing an “A” in chemistry decided on another Big 10 school, “that one up North!” And the high school junior with the 282 on the Critical Reading section of the SAT? Well, he got a 610 on the Critical Reading section of the SAT on his first try after joining us!

There are so many stories like these, it is truly wonderful!

Are there disappointments? Certainly!

But then…that’s life!

I will say this, any student willing to put in the time and the effort, and blessed with parents willing to allow the process to unfold, as it always does, will succeed. That is, if they are fortunate enough to find a professional tutor, the right tutor able to make it all happen. It can be amazing…and I’ve been doing this for over 30 years!

Tutoring is a wonderful calling, and it is a calling, incredibly challenging and heartbreaking. I wouldn’t do anything else!

For information about the services offered by Westside-Tutoring and Educational Services contact us anytime.